God Exists Outside of Time…But Acts Within It

Section 1: God

Week 1: God Is Great

Day 2: God Exists Outside of Time…But Acts Within It

Ps. 90:1-2

We human beings live within the constraints of time. Time is simply something we can’t escape. If you watch any amount of science fiction, you’ve seen your share of time travel scenarios. Even in sci-fi though, we travel through time, not outside of it. Time is an inescapable reality – even in fantasy.

But God isn’t limited by time the way we are. God created time. He, therefore, necessarily exists outside of time (Ps. 90:2, Rev.1:8). If you think about it, that could be problematic.

I’m a Doctor Who fan. In one of the episodes, the walls between universes temporarily dissolve. When that happens, Rose, one of the Doctor’s companions, travels to a parallel universe. However, the walls close again, and Rose is trapped in that universe. The Doctor wants to save her, but once the walls are up, not even the Doctor can penetrate them. Rose and the Doctor are trapped on opposite sides.

Does time operate as a similar wall, keeping God and us apart? We want a relationship with God, but we’re trapped within time. If God is similarly trapped outside of time, a relationship would seem to be impossible.

But the Bible makes it clear, God isn’t trapped outside of time. Although he exists outside of time, he is nevertheless free to act within time. As a result, he is able to reach into this world and get his hands dirty. The Bible, after all, is an account of God reaching into history to redeem his people. And it’s comforting to know that he is just as capable of reaching into our lives today.

Reflection Questions:

What difference does it make knowing that our God is capable of working within time but is in no way limited by time? What would it be like if God were completely isolated from the events of your life?

Challenge:

Take a moment to thank God that he is actively involved